Warming parsnip and apple soup

I came late to the party as far as parsnips are concerned; it's only been these past few weeks that I've been enjoying them as an ingredient in a casserole, or roasted with Sunday lunch. However, this morning after I woke up feeling like I'd been run over by a truck, soup was the order of the day, and on close investigation there was a whopping bag of parsnips in the cupboard.

So, here is my improvised (but wholly successful, according to Chris) recipe; the whole pan comes in at about 8 Points and would give you a generous four portions; perhaps five if it was being portioned into boxes for lunch (we've got big bowls here at Casa Leno). So, allow about 2 Points per serving.

6 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2-4 Granny Smith apples, depending on size; mine were teeny so I used 4 - peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, diced finely
1 small heart of celery, diced finely
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 fat cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Marigold vegetable bouillion powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp medium curry powder (I like Sharwoods)
About 1250ml boiling water (to cover your veg)

Begin by gently sauteing the onion, celery, apple, garlic and ginger together. Allow everything to soften gently and become slippery. Then, add the peeled parsnips and the spices, and stick the kettle on. When the kettle's boiled, sprinkle the tbsp of stock powder over and then pour the boiling water over to just cover the vegetables. Bring it back up to the boil, then turn down, cover and simmer. When the parsnips are tender (I usually see if I can break a piece against the side of the pan with my wooden spoon - note I said break NOT MASH, you don't want it to completely collapse), take it off the heat and let it cool for two minutes. Pop a folded towel on the side and stand the pot on it so it won't move about while you blend it smooth with a hand blender.

Check for seasoning and serve; we enjoyed it today with a sprinkle of parmesan and some leftover bread. Delishos. Don't forget to count the parmesan and bread ;)